An Ode to Motherhood
by wisegirlgranger
Summary: Sally Jackson doesn't always receive the credit she deserves. Short paragraphs from Sally's POV, chronicling Percy's exploits. Oneshot!


Because Sally Jackson has been through a lot over the past 5 years.

Enjoy. ~ WGG

* * *

 _July - August_ _1993_

Sally sat on the edge of the toilet seat, clutching her pregnancy test. The display showed two straight blue lines. After two previous miscarriages, the doctors had told her it wasn't possible. She ran out of the room.

Poseidon used godly magic and reduces the 9-month pregnancy to 1 month and 3 weeks, so he could meet his child before he has to leave. It helped manage the pain, but not much.

They sat together on the hospital bed, his hand entwined in hers. Between them lay their baby boy, 20 inches long, 9 pounds in weight, with thick black hair and sea-green eyes (exactly like his father's). Sally smiled down at him. This one, she wasn't going to lose. Just like the original Perseus, Sally would make sure her hero would have a happy ending.

* * *

 _1995 - 2005_

Just as Poseidon said would happen, Percy was diagnosed with ADHD. At two and a half, he was speaking, but still struggled with forming full sentences. Sally didn't mind. She was determined to let him remain a child for as long as possible.

Sally lay on the couch and tried to control her breathing. A mere twenty minutes ago, when she'd gone to pick Percy up from preschool, she had found him on his cot, a dead snake in his hands. The teacher told her he was a "threat to the other students" and she should look elsewhere for a school for her child.

After having been diagnosed with dyslexia, more and more schools declined Percy's application. Those that did accept him were extremely expensive.

One school shared a playground with a public park, and the school had called Sally in mid-october asking her to pick her child up, as "he had been disrupting the public by calling a man a 'monster with one eye.'" He was not invited back. Many other schools were chock-full of bullies, and with Percy's ADHD, he was usually blamed for fights that ensued.

Percy, at age 9, bluntly told Sally that even though it was the last day of school, he wouldn't make it through the year. Sally passed him a blue cookie, saying that if blue food existed, anything was possible. Gabe hit her twice after Percy left for school, but it was worth it.

Two years later, a boy with curly hair showed up at her door. When he was invited in, he removed is shoes and pants, explained he was a 22 year-old satyr named Grover, and Percy must enroll in Yancy Academy the next year. Sally nearly fainted. Grover revived her and gave her directions to Camp Half-Blood.

* * *

 _2006_

Sally had just finished her shift at Sweet on America when she nearly walked into the Iris Message. When she heard a Fury had attacked her son, but Chiron _still_ wasn't planning on taking him to camp so he could be safe _right that instant_ , Sally nearly screamed.

When she found out Percy had seen the Fates cut a lifeline, and he left Grover at the bus station and came home _alone_ , she grabbed the bag she had kept packed for her son and told her drunk husband she was going on vacation.

She laughed for the first time in many years when she heard, a few months later, that Percy had promised the entire nation free appliances from Gabe's store. As soon as she could, she got rid of her husband for good.

* * *

 _2007_

All she did was drop off three demigods at school, and the next thing she knew, Annabeth was missing and Percy had left camp to go find her.

She wasn't sure how she felt about Paul. He certainly wasn't a Poseidon, but Percy seemed to like him.

* * *

 _2008_

Something was wrong, Sally was sure of it. The way Percy looked at the red-headed girl and ran off to the side entrance without so much as a goodbye…it made her uneasy. As soon as she reached home, she IMed Chiron.

Annabeth was crying when Sally picked up the phone. As Annabeth explained how she left just seconds before Percy blew up a volcano, and he hasn't been seen in four days, and how Typhon was stirring, a theory formed in Sally's mind. She didn't tell Annabeth though - the poor child had enough heartbreak in her life, she didn't need to know about the island just yet.

Paul proposed to her two weeks after Percy's fifteenth birthday. She happily agreed.

* * *

 _2009_

Every motherly instinct in Sally's body told her not to give her blessing. Yet, she found herself agreeing. Until Annabeth called letting her know the battle had begun and Percy was leading the troops, Sally was 100% sure her son had died in the river.

The battle went as any great battle would - good prevailed, but grief hung in the air. Percy saved Olympus, and was perfectly safe. Rachel Elizabeth Dare became the oracle, and Sally prayed that Annabeth would get her happy ending.

Percy came home holding Annabeth's hand, blushing and mumbling about how they were together now. Sally proceeded to drum it into his head that he _better_ walk Annabeth to the door after _every_ date.

* * *

 _2010 - 2011_

Her son was missing. After just _three_ months of peace, the Fates felt the need to make Percy disappear. Annabeth was inconsolable. Sally had to buy a new Costco pack of tissues every week.

Jason Grace, Praetor of New Rome, was honor-bound to keep the secrets of New Rome. Therefore, he could not disclose the location of her son. So Sally was extremely surprised when he showed up on her doorstep, saying nothing, but holding out an envelope. The letter inside explained that telling mortals the location of Camp Jupiter was perfectly okay. Sally cried.

Coach Hedge Iris Messaged her two days after the Argo II began her journey to Greece. Apparently, her son and his girlfriend were found in the stables, fast asleep two hours after the wake-up call. Hedge wanted to know if her son had any "urges" he should know about. Sally laughed.

Her good mood disappeared 6 days later, when she found out Annabeth and Percy were trudging through Hell, and their chances of survival were next to zero. She cried herself to sleep every night.

* * *

 _Sometime Later_

Percy rode the Subway to his apartment in Manhattan, took the spare key from under the doormat, and was shocked to Sally in the doorway, arms crossed. "You're late," she whispered through tears. Suddenly, Percy ran forward and threw his arms around her.

"I missed you, mom."


End file.
